Resilient Drylands: Innovating for Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes and Livelihoods

On 25 September 2024, FAO gathered experts in a webinar on Resilient Drylands: Innovating for Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes and Livelihoods to discuss the urgent need to transform agrifood systems across drylands. Covering almost half of our planet, drylands are home to nearly 2 billion of the world’s most vulnerable people. These areas are marked by the impacts of climate change, water scarcity, conflict, demographic shifts and rural migration, making it essential to prioritize sustainable agricultural practices for improved food security, livelihoods and resilience.

The challenges and potential of drylands

Drylands, often perceived as wastelands, are actually complex, productive landscapes that hold untapped economic potential and enormous environmental value, with abundant solar energy and rich biodiversity. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol emphasized that transforming these fragile regions is key to overcoming broader food security challenges. She noted FAO’s longstanding commitment to supporting sustainable dryland agriculture through various global initiatives, from Africa’s Great Green Wall and farmer field schools across Asia to the drylands of Mesoamerica. "Our work has helped restore degraded drylands, increase crop productivity, and enhance community and landscape resilience across continents”, she said.  

Innovating for resilient dryland agriculture

The webinar, moderated by the Special Coordinator of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division Yurdi Yasmi, attracted global interest from more than 600 registrants and about 250 live participants, and was part of a broader dialogue on sustainable natural resource use, climate change and biodiversity in drylands. 

Director-General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Jacqueline Hughes, underlined the importance of adapted crops and New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) in addition to working holistically through integrated, landscape approaches to reach impact at scale, stating that “individual farms won't fix the problem.” 

Temi Adegoroye, Managing Partner at Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, highlighted the potential of agrifood innovations to address the unique challenges faced by dryland farmers. In recent years, entrepreneurs have successfully engaged farmers through innovative, scalable business models and technology-driven solutions, creating far-reaching impacts in these regions.

Marcela Lemus, Specialist in Resilient Agriculture and Climate Adaptation at FAO El Salvador, underscored the importance of local knowledge in building climate-resilient landscapes. She pointed out the need for strengthening capacities and governance, increasing technical support, and combining traditional knowledge with modern technologies for resilient dryland farming.

Shamie Zingore, Director of Research and Development for the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) also underscored the importance of balanced and adequate nutrient application, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where farmers have chronically limited access to mineral and organic fertilizers.

“Effective use of digital technology can dramatically improve access to localized and dynamic agricultural information”, said Tomoko Harigaya, Chief Economist at Precision Development (PxD), explaining that it would enable millions of farmers to optimize agricultural practices, manage risks, and increase climate resilience.

Other speakers included FAO's Director of the Land and Water Division, Lifeng Li, as well as Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural Officer in FAO’s Plant Production and Protection division.

Key action areas for transforming dryland agriculture

In closing, Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO's Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, reinforced the importance of innovative, collaborative approaches to address the complex challenges faced by drylands. He outlined six key areas for action:

1. Investing in research, agricultural innovations and digital solutions tailored specifically to dryland conditions.
2. Promoting policy integration, ensuring dryland agriculture is embedded in national development plans, climate action strategies, and food security policies, with an emphasis on holistic approaches linking land, water, and biodiversity management.
3. Fostering partnerships and collaboration across governments, research institutions, the private sector, and local communities. 
4. Empowering local communities as custodians of dryland ecosystems, leveraging traditional knowledge for achieving sustainable agricultural development.
5. Scaling up successful models, adapting them to different dryland regions to maximize their impact.
6. Enhancing knowledge sharing, contributing to global platforms on sustainable dryland agriculture and driving continued dialogue.

A pathway to sustainable development 

The transformation of these rich landscapes represents more than just an environmental necessity: it is critical to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals including those related to food security, climate action, poverty alleviation, and biodiversity conservation. 

FAO and its partners aim to turn the challenges of dryland regions into opportunities, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.

The recording will be available on this page soon.